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Love Speaks Truth

philia- Strong liking, an affection that one has for a close friend, like they were a brother or sister.

storge- Love that family members have for one another, that a parent has for a child,  that natural bond that comes from being related to one another.

pragma- Practical love founded on reason or duty and one’s longer-term interests.

eros- Romantic love

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,
it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a New International Version (NIV)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said,
“If you hold to my teaching,
you are really my disciples. Then you will know
the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 (NIV)

He [Satan] was a murderer from
the beginning, not holding to the truth,
for there is no truth in him. When he lies,
he speaks his native language, for he is a
liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44b (NIV)

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord,
beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all
and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:1-6 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head,
into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is
working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:14-16 (NRSV)

Love Requires Commitment

Non-commital people say to each other,
“I love you,” but what they really mean is,
“I want to be with you today. A better opportunity may open up tomorrow, and if so,
I’ll take it.” This is, perhaps, not surprising. Dating apps have made meeting new people fairly easy (depending on one’s location),
so why not take advantage?

Psychology Today- May, 8, 2020

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”
he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied.
“What have I done to you?”
So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.
Then he set out to follow Elijah and
became his servant.

1 Kings 19:19-21 New International Version (NIV)

NO EXIT STRATEGY

…,“Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.”
Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.

Ruth 1:8-9 (NIV)

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go,
and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die
I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her,
she stopped urging her.

Ruth 1:16-18 (NIV)

But …

But Moses said to God,
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11 New International Version (NIV)

But Moses said,
“Pardon your servant, Lord.
Please send someone else.”

Exodus 4:13 (NIV)

Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about  your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.”

Exodus 4: 14-15 (NIV)

When the angel of the Lord
appeared to Gideon, he [the angel] said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

Judges 6:12 (NIV)

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said,  “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.  Am I not sending you?”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

Judges 6: 13-15 (NIV)

On the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you,
wherever,” he said.
Jesus was curt: “Are you ready
to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
Jesus said to another, “Follow me.”
He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements
for my father’s funeral.”
Jesus refused. “First things first.  Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”
Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things
straightened out at home.”
Jesus said, “No procrastination.  No backward looks. You can’t put  God’s kingdom off till tomorrow.  Seize the day.”

Luke 9: 57-62 The Message

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.

Matthew 5: 21-22 (NIV)

“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall not commit adultery.’
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her
in his heart. If your right eye
causes you to stumble, gouge it out
and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Matthew 5: 27-30 (NIV)

“You have heard that it was said,
‘Love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you,  what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that.  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5: 43-48 (NIV)

A New Heaven, A New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.

Revelation 21:1 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

Isaiah 65:17-19 New International Version (NIV)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.

Revelation 21:1 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2 (NRSV)

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:3-4 (NRSV)

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:5 (NRSV)

A New Birth

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s chosen strangers in the world of the diaspora,
who live in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

1 Peter 1:1 Common English Bible (CEB)

parapidēmos = exiles

God the Father chose you because of what he knew beforehand.
He chose you through the Holy Spirit’s work of making you holy and because of the faithful obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you.

1 Peter 1:2 (CEB)

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed!
On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth.
You have been born anew into a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Peter 1:3 (CEB)

New Morning Mercies Paul David Tripp:

You and I are on a constant quest for hope. We all want a reason to get up in the morning and motivation to continue… Here are some things you have to know about hope:

-1- God hardwired human beings for hope. We don’t live by instinct; we all find our identity, meaning, purpose, and inner sense of well-being in something.

-2- What you place your hope in will set the direction of your life.

-3- Hope always includes an expectation and an object. I am hoping for something and hoping that someone or something will deliver it.

-4- Hope, to be hope, has to fix what is broken.

-5- You always preach to yourself a gospel of some kind of hope.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

-On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand (Edward Mote)

You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you. Through his faithfulness, you are guarded by God’s power so that you can receive the salvation he is ready to reveal in the last time. You now rejoice in this hope, even if it’s necessary for you to be distressed for a short time by various trials.

1 Peter 1:4-6 (CEB)

A New Heart

“‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you,
and you will be their inheritance; you will never again
deprive them of their children.

Ezekiel 36:8-12 New International Version (NIV)

“‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Ezekiel 36:24-27 (NIV)

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:10-12 (NIV)

A New Thing

The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end,
For His compassions do not fail.
They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I wait for Him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity,
offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly,
who have forsaken the Lord,
who have despised the Holy One of Israel,
who are utterly estranged!
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 1:4;19-20 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:1-2 (NRSV)

Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

Isaiah 43:14-17 (NRSV)

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NRSV)

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him
and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him—
and the gates shall not be closed:

Isaiah 45:1 (NRSV)

Today’s the day for THAT new thing

A New Day

I am the man who has seen misery because of the rod of His wrath.
He has driven me and made me walk in darkness and not in light.
Indeed, He has turned His hand against me repeatedly all the day.
He has consumed my flesh and my skin, He has broken my bones.
He has besieged and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
He has made me live in dark places,
Like those who have long been dead.

Lamentations 3:1-6  New American Standard Bible (NASB)

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my help are the words of my groaning.
My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.

Psalm 22:1-2 (NASB)

He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drink plenty of wormwood.
He has also made my teeth grind with gravel;
He has made me cower in the dust.
My soul has been excluded from peace; I have forgotten happiness.
So I say, “My strength has failed,  And so has my hope from the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:15-18 (NASB)

Remember my misery and my homelessness,
the wormwood and bitterness.
My soul certainly remembers, and is bent over within me.
I recall this to my mind, therefore I wait.

Lamentations 3:19-21 (NASB)

YAHAL > Hope!

The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end,
For His compassions do not fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I wait for Him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 (NASB)

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.

Lamentations 3:22-24 The Message (MSG)

No Wise Men

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come
to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me,
so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Matthew 2:1-12 New International Version (NIV)

In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:26-28 The Message (MSG)

No Jesus

The Word was first, the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.
Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
There once was a man, his name John [John the Baptizer], sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way  to the Light.The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life he brings into Light.

John 1: 1-9 THE MESSAGE (MSG)

She [Mary] will give birth to a son,
and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

Sin always kills things!

For the wages of sin is death, …

Romans 6:23a (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (NIV)

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Love Speaks Truth

Love Requires Commitment

But …

A New Heaven, A New Earth

A New Birth

A New Heart

A New Thing

A New Day

No Wise Men

No Jesus

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